Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Description
Fuel Nozzle For Gas Turbine Engine
Technical Field
This invention relates to fuel nozzles for turbine
type of power plants and particularly to dual ori~ice
nozzles and means for improving the quality of emissions.
Background Art
In view of the ecological concern and the govern-
mental requirements for t~e reduction of pollutants
admitted into the atmosphere, there has been a concerted
effort to improve the quality of the exhaust discharging
from aircraft engines.
One of the major areas that is currently being
explored is the engines combustor and its attendent
fuel nozzle.
The puxpose of this invention is to reduce the
emissions from the gas turbine engines powering aircraft.
In particular, we have found that by certain modifica-
tions to already existing ~uel nozzles, it is possible
to significantly reduce the pollutant emissions. To
this end the swirl is selected so that both air and/or
fuel when issuing to the combustion zone is in the same
direction~
Disclosure of Invention
It is an object of this invention to provide for
a fuel nozzle of the type having primary and secondary
fuel feed orifices for a combustor of a gas turbine
engine means for imparting swirl to the fuel and air in
the same direction.
3Q A feature of this invention is to judiciously
select the value of the area ratio of air inlet and
fuel/air outlet to produce a positive pressure inside
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the nozzle relative to the pressure in the burning zone
in the com~ustor in cornbination with co-rotational fuel
and air.
A feature of this invention is to provide for a
gas turbine engine, co-rotational fuel and air egression
into the cornbustion zone of the cor~bustor for reducing
hydrocarbons, NOX, and carbon monoxide emissions.
In accordance with a particular err~odiment of
the invention there is provided a dual orifice type fuel
nozzle, which has a primary fuel passage normally conti-
; nuously operative throughout the engine operating enve-
lope and a secondary fuel passage normally operative solely
during the high thrust regimes and inoperative during the
low thrust regimes of the engine operating envelope, and
for use with a cornbustor of a gas turbine engine having a
compressor. The fuel nozzle has a generally conically
shaped casing with said primary fuel passage centrally
disposed therein, the secondary fuel passage being formed
therein concentrically disposed relative to the primary
fuel passage. Both primary and secondary passages exit
fuel into the corr~ustor through a substantially mutual
transverse plane. Also provided are means for imparting
a swirl component to compressor discharge air surrounding
the fuel exiting from the primary and secondary paasages.
Further included are means for pressurizing the secondary
passage when the primary passage is solely operative with
the compressor discharge air whereby the secondary passa-
ge maintains a positive pressure for preventing fuel from
the primary passage from migrating therein and coking
the walls of the secondary passage. First fuel
swirl means in the primary passage irnpart a swirl motion
to the fuel issuin~ therefrom and second fuel swirl means
in the secondary passage impart a swirl motion to the
fuel issuing therefrom. The first fuel swirl means, the
second fuel swirl means and the means for swirling the air
all impart swirling motion in a common direction.
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Other features and advantages will be apparent
from the specification and claims and from the accompany-
ing drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the inven-
tion.
The sole figure is an enlarged view partly in
section and partly in elevation illustrating the details
of this invention.
The fuel nozzle generally illustrated by re-
ference numeral 10 is of the type that is utilized on the
JT-8D and JT-9D engines manufactured by Pratt & Whitney
Aircraft Group of United Technologies Corporation, the
assignee of this patent application.
Suffice it to say that the nozzle comprises a
primary fuel feed orifice 12 formed in the generally
conically shaped primary nozzle 14 and a second fuel
feed orifice 16 communicating with the annular passageway
18 defined between the spaced conical nozzle element 20
and the primary nozzle 14. Swirl ring 22 and swirl plug
24 serve to impart a tangential velocity to the fuel
before issuing into the combustion zone and produce the
flow pattern illustrated.
A portion of air from the compressor is admitted
internally in nozzle nut 26 through swirl slots 28 and
likewise impart a tangential velocity to the air as it
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progresses into the combustion zone as shown by the
flow pattern.
Air is also introduced around the fuel through the
swirl cup 30 with an imparted tangential velocity by the
swirl vanes 32. Splitter 34 may be employed as shown.
As noted, the flow pattern is as indicated.
As will be apparent to one skilled in the art, the
direction of swirl and the tangential component is
dictated by the vanes and swirl slots. According to this
invention both air and fuel issuing into the combustion
zone rotate in the same direction.
It is important in the context of this invention
that the pressure inside the secondary fuel nozzle 20
upstream of orifice 16 is higher than the pressure
downstream thereof when primary fuel only is flowing.
Also in its preferred embodiment it was found that good
emission results were achieved when the area of annular
discharge orifice area defined between the depending lip
36 of nozzle nut 26 and the fuel nozzle heat shield (50),
and the area of orifice 36 were substantially equal.
To assure the proper pressure level the number of
swirl slots 23 of the original nozzle nut was increased
from 8 to 16 for an area of 0.206 square inch.
Actual engine test ran with these modifications in
comparison wlth the heretofore used noæzles showed a
substantial reduction in carbon monozide, hydrocarbons
and NOX emissions.
It should be understood that the invention is not
limited to the particular embodiments shown and described
herein, but that various changes and modifications
may be made without departing from the spirit and scope
of this novel concept as defined by the following claims.
